Star frowned. “You don’t think that’s strange?”
Murder leaned over the counter, running a rag across the surface which was squeaky clean already; she was obsessive compulsive that way. “I think shit’s gone down, crap’s gone sideways and Agent Raven is in trouble, but there’s nothing we can do.”
Star’s mouth had gone dry. “Fuck protocol, we can’t just leave him there!”
“We can and we will. You know the score, Star. We don’t make the rules and you step outta line you get sliced. Simple.”
Impotence was a bitch. If Garret had been made, then they had to cut him loose. It was the only way, a risk they all took when joining the insiders. There was no I in team and all that bullshit. Garret had gone in and it was looking like he wasn’t coming out. Radio silence was over and he hadn’t checked in. Star dropped her head. “I need a drink.”
“Well, honey, you’re in the right place.”
“I know, and I can’t, dammit.” She turned away and walked back into the throng of gyrating bodies.
“You stay sharp, Star!” Murder called after her.
Sharp, yeah, but for now she needed to work off the frustration. She closed her eyes and let the beat in.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Stupid, stubborn woman. Ryder pushed his way through the bodies on the makeshift dance floor. A head taller than everyone else, he used his height to his advantage, scanning the multi-coloured heads trying to spot Star. This place was a dump; drugs, prostitution, unsavoury dealings, it was a hub away from the hub. It was also the only place in town to wind down, to simply be, and he knew why Star had wanted to come. But after what had happened in the Under, the moment she’d mentioned it he’d seized up. That and the fact that being in this environment, the pulsing beat, the heat, so close to her, he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from touching her.
Should never have fucked her, tasted her. Damn, she was under his skin now, an itch he couldn’t scratch. He was a thirsty man sitting by a cool clear jug of water and he wasn’t allowed even a sip and…fuck the analogies! He couldn’t fuck her again plain and simple, ‘cos if he did there would be no letting go and he’d have failed her, failed himself.
There, to the right, the dark hair, dusky skin painted pink, green and yellow, and those suck on me lips, those suck on me tits, jiggling under her V-neck T and the knobheads around her, watching, edging close, hoping for a squeeze, a feel, a taste, a grind.
Hell no!
He barrelled through, a bull in a bowling alley, pins flying off to the side as he beelined toward his prize.
Jackpot. He had her by the arm, fist to the guy’s face who had just grabbed her arse and a glare that would freeze fire to finish off the others.
“Ryder, what the fuck!”
But Ryder was done talking, needed to show her how it was going to be, who she was going to be. Needed to show her where she belonged and, yeah, it was wrong, he was wrong, he had no right, but in that moment he was consumed with the need to simply be.
He pulled her against him, one hand on the back of her neck, the other on her hip, groin to groin, the beat climbing up his legs into his chest, grounded, together. He began to move.
Her head fell back, the insults dying on those pretty lips. He caressed the sensitive spot beneath her ear with the pad of his thumb. Her eyelids grew heavy with desire.
She was beautiful, sensual, fit him perfectly. She was his.
And then her heel came down on the top of his foot, he winced, letting her go and watched as she stormed out The Spot.
* * *
He found her pacing outside, hands on hips, ready for battle. Felt the vibration of her anger in his veins, wanted to embrace it, but succeeded in holding off.
She turned on him as soon as he stepped into the light of the lone street lamp.
“How dare you? How dare you just come in there and grab me like that? I don’t belong to you, Ryder. I’m not your bitch! You don’t just get to fuck me when you feel like it then ignore me, then try and fucking claim me or some shit like that. What the hell is wrong with you?”
So many answers to that question, none of which he felt comfortable going into, and what scared him was that he was even considering explaining himself, of letting her in, so he did what he did best.
He shut down.
“We need to go. The qualification rounds start soon.”
Her mouth fell open and she shook her head. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” She pushed past him and began striding off into the dark.
Trouble with a capital T, no make that a capital T.R.O.U.B.L.E. With a sigh, he followed.
Chapter Thirty-Five
It wasn’t anger she felt, it was disappointment, a grey feeling of loss in her chest which was stupid because she’d never had him in the first place. She didn’t even want him. Attachments were stupid in her line of work. What was she gonna tell him when she had to leave for a few days, or a week, or even a month? Insider laws were strict; no one was supposed to know you were on the inside. If Garret hadn’t intervened on her behalf, using her young age as an excuse, she wouldn’t have been allowed to tell her mum the truth. As it stood, she had been given special permission, but if it leaked any further then both Star and her mother would pay the price. There were people out there, other groups, who would do anything to get their hands on an insider. It meant money, safe passage in and out of City, and a handshake from the settlers themselves.
Yeah, she couldn’t do the whole relationship thing. Even as she told herself this, she knew she was deliberately ignoring one huge fact; the fact that Ryder was no ordinary human; the fact that the insiders needed him, the fact that he was a part of their plan. He was already on the inside. If she wanted, she could have him.
But he doesn’t want you.
Yeah, and that stung.
She’d take the sting and channel it into the fights. It was gonna be a long night of pounding, the kind she didn’t like, and the sting would keep her focused. She’d treat it just like a job; in and out and over, because that’s what it was.
Then why did it hurt so bad?
The guard at Under, the same one she’d seen the last two times she’d visited, stepped aside to let her through. She could feel Ryder at her back like a protective shield, feel his eyes sweeping the room before her like twin lasers clearing a path.
It was miraculous what a six pack set in a six foot six frame could achieve. The face helped, the clenched jaw, the narrow-eyed glare that said he could go ninja on anyone’s arse at any given time. Yeah, she could imagine the look on his face based on the looks on people’s faces as she strode by. She couldn’t deny the sense of power that gave her, the tingle that climbed her back that said, ‘Yeah, he’s with me, he’s mine.’
But then the dark hole in her chest throbbed…because he wasn’t.
She climbed the ramp that led to the fighter’s platform and made her way to the betting tables.
Ned looked up and licked his pencil. “You got a death wish, girly.” His eyes slipped passed her to take in Ryder. “Both yous are nuts.”
“Tick us off,” Ryder said.
Ned nudged his brother who marked the list with a cross. “You gonna win this time?”
Ryder grinned. “You wanna bet?”
Ned chuckled. “Now this I gots to see.”
“You ready?” Terry appeared beside them, his face glowing with eagerness.
“Terry, these yours?” Ned asked.
“Damn straight,” Terry said.
Ned turned to his brother. “Place the bet.”
The warmth of Ryder’s fingers skimming the small of her back made her stomach flutter. She resisted the urge to move into him and took a step away.
“Let’s get this over with.”
They approached the arena to cheers and jeers. Star’s stomach flipped. This was it. Two blokes, mid to late twenties stood in the arena. Ropes had been set up for this event. They kept the spectators back and provided distance for
the fighter waiting to be tagged.
“Remember, if I tag you, you jump in then tag me and jump back out.”
She nodded, even though it felt wrong, like cheating. She gave the competition the once over. Wiry, lean, they would be quick on their feet, but all Ryder needed was a blow or two to knock them on their arses.
“Don’t hold back,” she said.
Ryder quirked her back. “No, it’s your job to make sure I stay in control.” He glanced around, “Big crowd tonight, if I lose it, it could get ugly.”
“You won’t.”
Ryder lifted the rope and ducked into the arena, his huge frame dwarfing his competitor. The guy’s eyes widened and darted toward Star. She shrugged and dropped him a wink.
Psych them out and watch them burn.
The bell rang and then Ryder dropped into fighter stance, braced and ready for attack.
The man, Carter or James, she wasn’t sure which one was which, bounced around the space, light on his feet, showing off his moves.
His partner yelled out encouragement, the crowd cheered, shouted, stamped their feet and Star focused. She could feel the build up as a pressure in her hand, the power gathering inside Ryder.
The man jumped forward, jabbed and bounced out of reach. Ryder didn’t make a move to stop him. He stood, impassive, absorbing the blow.
Star clenched her fist around the metal inside it. Sweat broke out on her brow.
Hold it.
Ryder was as steady as a column. The man attacked again, jabbed ducked and swerved, the crowd went wild and Star felt the pulse of rage coming off Ryder. She could feel his intention.
The guy was getting cocky.
Next time.
The guy leapt forward for another jab and Ryder’s fist shot out as fast as lightning and punched him in the face.
The crack resounded throughout the arena and for a moment Star thought the whiplash had broken the guy’s neck. He swayed on the spot and then hit the dirt hard, out cold.
Game over.
Fight two went in a similar vein, except this time Ryder made sure to give Star some ring time, a quick turn in the arena where she postured and got out before the guy could land a hit. It felt wrong but, hell, she didn’t have a death wish. She could hold her own in a fight with an opponent around the same size and weight, but these guys were huge, seasoned fighters and it would be damage control only, taking one down would be a miracle. Playing it smart was the only way, so she blocked out the curses and jeers from the crowd, blocked out the derogatory comments about women belonging in the kitchen. If they tasted her cooking they’d think twice about that one.
They stepped away for a moment while the scores were tallied and the finalists announced. They had to have made it.
She crossed her fingers and tapped her feet, waiting for the announcement that would bring them a step closer to their goal.
The bell tolled and a voice boomed out a list of names through a megaphone. The cheering and stamping was so loud she almost missed it, but Ryder didn’t. His expression hardened and he looked down on her, eyes chips of ice.
He was pissed?
They were in and he was pissed, or was he worried? She needed to master his expressions, or maybe best not to get too comfortable. Although she couldn’t help thinking if he cared so damn much then he…he cared! He liked her! And this was so not the time to be worrying about that kind of stuff. She needed to get into the arena and not get her arse kicked. Ryder was already striding through the crowd and she clung to his back, worried that it would close in on her in his wake.
Turned out it wasn’t their fight yet, it was the clash of the giants going on. These guys were big—muscular big and sumo big. It was scary, the thwacks and thuds and oomphs were bad enough, but she imagined the ground shook each time two opponents made impact and the tagging…not pretty, especially the sumo guys trying to navigate the rope. It was over too quickly with the sumo guys bagging a win.
“We have to fight them?”
Ryder nodded, his eyes a squint as he assessed their pudgy opponents. This was the last fight, if they won this they got a shot at the big win, a chance to go up against last year’s winners, whoever they were. She’d never paid attention to the Under or the arena until a few days ago, so she had no idea.
The man with the megaphone called a five minute break which was hardly fair to the sumos. They’d just finished a fight, but it was good for Star and Ryder—get them while they’re down and all that.
“They’re slow so you should be able to run rings around them and tag out with ease,” Ryder said. “It’ll look good.”
“No, what will look good is if I actually land a blow or too. Look, you can’t do this all alone.”
“Actually, I can.”
“Bit arrogant don’t you think?”
“No, it’s just the truth. I can take them both out, but likelihood is I’ll take out the room too.”
“That’s where I come in.”
“Yeah…”
She frowned at his tone. He didn’t fully believe that he could control it, that she could help him control it. His doubt could mess everything up. Mum always said that faith was a powerful thing, but after what had happened twelve years ago, Star wasn’t too big on faith except now…now she needed to believe this could work, that he could do this.
“Ryder.” She grabbed his wrist and he looked down on her with eyes as cold as frost. “I believe in you.”
Star put everything into those words, everything swilling around in her chest, the yearning, the longing, the desire and watched his gaze heat.
She had to lower her lids before her face caught fire. He could do that to her, with just one look, make her feel naked as if she was lying beneath him ready for him, and this was so not the time because the man with the megaphone was calling them to the arena.
Five minutes were up.
Ryder tore his gaze from her and headed for the arena.
Heart pounding in her throat, she followed.
This was it, the fight before the fight. They had to win.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ryder knew how to take down the big guys, because the thing about the big guys was they had only one fighting style. The wrestle, the grapple, using their girth and weight to disable an opponent and Ryder was not getting close enough for them to even try that. He used Carter’s technique; fast, in out, with hard jabs to the face, head, neck, anywhere where the fat was thin and it worked.
They went down. Concussion can do that to you.
Star didn’t get a look in and it wasn’t till after they’d won that Ryder realised his mistake. He was frantically going over the fights, trying to count her arena time when Terry approached him.
“What the fuck, Ryder? You didn’t give her any ring time.” He shook his head. “She’s up first for the final fight.”
Beside him, Star’s eyes widened. He felt her body tense.
“No.”
Terry shrugged, “Sorry, mate, it’s either that or you forfeit.”
“Then we forfeit.” There was no way he was letting her into the ring with the reigning champions.
“No! That’s fine. I’ll do it,” Star said.
Ryder turned on her, ready to rip her a new one, but she was staring at the arena, bottom lip caught between her teeth. She was nervous, not stupid.
“You tag me straight off, you hear?”
She nodded.
“Make sure you do, this guy Goliath, he’s lethal. His partner David, he’s just window dressing,” Terry said.
Ryder allowed Star to take the lead this time. He watched as she ducked under the ropes and stepped into the ring. He watched as their competition, the reigning champions, stepped up. His eyes went to the big guy first and he recalled Star’s story, bigger than Ryder, this guy must be Goliath. He dropped his gaze to the little guy, a slight, wiry thing, a little taller than Star—David. The small guy stepped into the arena.
Good. That was good, right? But then he saw the
look on Star’s face, it wasn’t an I’m-gonna-tag-Ryder-and-get-the fuck-out-of-this- ring look, it was an I’m-gonna-take-this-guy look.
Fuck!
“Star!” Terry shouted, voice filled with panic. Maybe he’d seen the look too.
Ryder took a breath. She could fight, he was the same size as her. Maybe she could do this. He had to trust her.
“Dammit, Star!” Terry was frantic. He poked Ryder with his boney elbow. “Get her attention, do something.”
“She can take him, she’ll be fine,” Ryder said.
“No, she won’t. That’s David and he’s fucking lethal, Goliath back there, he’s nothing, David’s edge is that he looks so unassuming, but if Star stays in the arena with him, she’s dead!”
The bell tolled.
The fight began.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Star heard the bell as if from a distance. She was focused, in the zone, her eyes pinned to her opponent as he circled her, his slender frame, his sharp features. He reminded her of the elf princes in the fairy tales mother used to tell her when she a child. This she could handle. Garret had trained her for this kind of altercation, and she was more than ready.
“What’s a beauty like you doing in a place like this?” he asked conversationally.
“I need the cash.”
“More than you need your pretty face?”
Something in his tone, underneath the casual air, disturbed her. “I can handle myself.”
His lip curled mockingly. “Last chance, tag and leave…”
Once again that undertone, it threw her off balance. She glanced behind her, just a split second, but that’s all it took.
“Only joking!”
He was on her, hand on her ponytail, twisting, pulling her back, away from the barrier as he wrapped the length of her hair around his arm.
A yelp tore itself from her throat as she stumbled back against him, wincing as he tightened his grip.
“I guess you haven’t heard about my reputation.”
Legends of the Damned: A Collection of Edgy Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels Page 186